


A Loyal Skellington

by orphan_account



Category: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Genre: Crying, Cuddling & Snuggling, Disney World & Disneyland, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fangirls, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Jealousy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-04-27 16:24:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14429529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Sally gets a little jealous over Jack's fangirls.





	A Loyal Skellington

Things were starting to grow tirelessly repetitive.

Don't get Sally Skellington wrong. She _loved_ going to Disneyland. In fact, it was one of the many things she looked forward to every year. She enjoyed the rides, the faces, the autographs, the pictures, the food, the walks, the nights, the hotels, the parades, the merchandise...she loved _everything_. Visiting Disneyland was like going to Christmas Town, and everything that came with it was like Christmas candy. She loved absolutely every part of it, and she would never grow tired of the trips her and Jack took to the kingdom.

She _could_ , however...do without some things.

It was yet another autograph session with her and Jack. They settled somewhere near the gardens of the Haunted Mansion Holiday, and came to a circled tree where a line was formed off to the side. They were approached by people who had been waiting for possibly hours, and they did their best to prolong the conversations. They met with families, fans, and children. They took many photos and signed many books, and talked about many things.

Sally loved this part of the day. She really did. And she felt in an exceptionally-good mood that evening, clutching onto Jack's hand as they waited for the next visitors. They were greeted by a crowd of girls - not usual batch of teens they witnessed before - but women around the age Sally was modeled after.

She gave them a polite wave and smile, but the moment their eyes went onto Jack, they hadn't left him. They all abruptly came to him and passed by Sally completely. The ragdoll had to let go of Jack's hand as he was surrounded by these women. He looked surprised himself, and reached out to Sally until a girl stepped in front of him.

"Hi, Jack!" She outstretched her hand. "My name's Stacey. I'm your BIGGEST fan!" 

Sally could tell from where she was that she was wearing Jack's merchandise. All of these girls were, in fact. He looked down at her and brought his hands to her own to shake them heartily. 

"It's very nice to meet you, Stacey. How are you all doing this horrible evening?" 

The moment the ragdoll was able to push through the crowd, she got edged to the side again. Every one of them was speaking to Jack now, their voices mixing in with one another's as they spurted out compliments and facts to him. The skeleton appeared to be lost but still grinned at all of them, and even continued on with some of their conversations. 

Sally continued standing to the side and clasped her hands down at her waist. She shyly watched as they continued to talk to Jack. She wanted to try and come to his side again, but it'd be pointless. So she stood there and listened for a good 5 minutes until they were asked to continue on so they could see the other visitors. She felt relieved seeing them leave and went to grab Jack's hand, squeezing it very lightly. 

"Boy, those were quite an excited bunch." The skeleton chuckled. "It felt like they knew more about me than I did!" 

She went to ask him what he meant until they were approached by a family. Jack dropped the subject as he went to greet the child, and Sally introduced herself. She couldn't think straight for the rest of those sessions. She was too busy thinking about what kinds of things those girls could've told Jack - and what made them so excited about him and not her. 

\-------------------

When Jack and Sally started to walk around the park, she found that she was still troubled from earlier. He hadn't mentioned anything about it. She debated asking him some questions about what they said or what they were riled up for, but she was too shy. She felt stupid asking about it or that he'd ridicule her for being so nosy...but she truly wanted to know. She was so used to being excluded that it puzzled her on why this bothered her.

As they walked on the sidewalks, Sally went to bring it up. She opened her mouth to speak until she was interrupted by some sudden screams that came from behind them.

**"JACK! JACK!"**

Jack's skull whipped around to find yet another group of girls chasing after them. These ones were much younger than the ones they'd seen before. They were wearing Nightmare Before Christmas merchandise as well. They came and started trailing behind them. Jack turned away from Sally and waved to the bunch, slowing down his stride so he could meet with their pace.

"Hello, everyone! How are you all doing?"

"We're fine!" They replied in unison. They all seemed so giddy following after him, giggling and reaching out for his back.

"I was hoping for 'dreadful' or 'horrible'." Jack chuckled. "It's great to see you all here today." 

"We were wondering when you were going to sign autographs again?" One of them asked. "I really want you to sign mine, but we only have an hour left here."

Despite being told to constantly move on the Disney sidewalks, Jack stopped in his tracks. This caused Sally to halt as well, and she clung onto his arm to try and stop herself from falling. He ensured her on her feet before turning to the crowd and grabbing the signature book she held out to him. The girls squealed as he signed it and exchanged grins. 

"Would you like Sally's autograph, too?" She heard him ask.

"What? No, that's fine. Hey, can you sign Aubrey's, too?" 

"Why, of course!"

Sally's stomach churned as his "one" autograph turned into 15. She impatiently waited beside him, just wishing they could continue their walk and be done with it. But after Jack was finishing signing them, the girls insisted on talking with him. They started asking him questions and complimenting him that Jack felt he was obliged to stay and converse with them. 

She momentarily stopped eavesdropping on their conversation and wondered why she felt so uncomfortable. She didn't fancy attention, but none of them were here for _her_. Yet she still felt so overwhelmed and crowded. But it was the complete opposite - as Sally was shoved to the side and Jack was placed in the middle of the crowd again. She felt so useless as she just stood there and watched all of them. 

One girl went in front of Jack and started clinging on his arm, rocking on her heels as she blinked at the skeleton. "I'm your biggest fangirl, Jack!" 

"What? No she isn't!" Another girl refuted. "I am! I got the whole movie memorized!"

"Fangirl?" The skeleton repeated. "Remind me what that means, again?"

"It means _I'm_ your biggest fan." The first girl insisted. "Except I'm...well, a girl." Her tan skin blushed profusely.

"No, it doesn't! It means she loves you! Which is totally wrong because, I mean, I do! I've got tons of posters of you in my room!" 

The girls started arguing over who was the biggest who-knows-what and who knew more about Jack. Sally felt her chest grow completely cold after hearing that last confession. That means that these girls... _love_ him? As in, they felt strongly for him? This fact made her grow numb, and the frown on her ruby lips fell so low she thought it had fallen off from her face. 

Jack went to try and calm them all down. He continued talking with them again. By this point Sally didn't feel comfortable there at _all_. She started walking away from them, and went completely unnoticed by anyone. She didn't wander very far, but settled at a table a good distance away from the crowd. She sat down in a seat and rested her head on the surface, staring at the wall and contemplating this coldness she felt in her body. 

\-------------------

She meant to return to Jack a few minutes after sitting, but she'd been so caught up in her thoughts that those minutes lasted for hours. She didn't even notice the sun setting or the crowds dying down. She realized how long she had been sitting there the moment things went dark. She heard crickets substitute the music and watched as the lanterns turned on. She sat up in her seat and looked around. There were still many crowds but Jack was nowhere to be found. 

She panicked, looking around and scrambling to get up from the chair.

"Oh, this is my fault!" She said to herself. "I shouldn't have left. I should've stayed with Jack. Why did I ever leave? How long was I here? How could I-"

_"SALLY! SALLY! SALLY WHERE ARE YOU!?"_

She heard the love of her life screaming from somewhere. She stood in her seat and tried to find him. His tall figure climbed out from the crowds, and he was looking around frantically. She saw people try and get his attention, but he paid them no mind. He was busy trying to find her, which slightly warmed her heart. She went to wave her hand in the air but felt her body grow weak. She still felt very empty. 

She had to rest back on the table to get her strength back. By that point Jack had found her, and he went running to the table. By the time he came, he sounded completely out of breath and his skull wore a worried expression. One she hadn't seen for ages now. 

"Sally! Oh my god, you're okay!" He reached out and hugged her. "I was just about to send a search party for you!" 

"Really?" She squeaked.

"Yeah! I have no idea where you went. One moment you're there, and the next you were gone! For hours!" He squeezed her before letting go. "I got so worried. I thought you were gone - or, or missing! I didn't know what to do." 

"I'm sorry..." Her voice was still weak.

Jack suddenly went quiet. Sally blinked at him and opened her mouth to ask why he was silent. But nothing came out - she couldn't manage any words. He went forward and rubbed his skeletal finger underneath her eye. She watched as he removed it and found that he had wiped a tear. She placed her hands to her face and found streams gently pouring from the ends of her eyes. 

"You're crying." He said very softly. 

"I..." She wiped them from her face. "I am..."

He grabbed her again and held her tightly to his chest. She felt so relieved to be in his arms again - to smell his cologne and hear his voice and just _being_ with him. But she felt so empty. So desolate. And there was a certain sadness swallowing all of her emotions. She was left depressed without knowing why. Her tears went onto Jack's suit as she continued to cry. She heard him grab the other chair and sat in it. 

"I'm sorry I couldn't find you. You were just a few feet away from me and I never saw you." He rubbed her back. 

She nodded softly. Normally, she'd have insisted it was her fault or something of the sort...but she couldn't speak. And a side of her really wanted to blame him - for something that wasn't even his own fault. She wanted to try and assure him that she was okay anyway, but she really wasn't. She promised herself to never lie to him.

"Why did you leave me?" He asked quietly.

She grasped at his back tightly, suddenly feeling very guilty. For a moment she tried to remember the reason. She thought she had left to be by herself, but that wasn't the only reason. There were other things bothering her...those girls....their confessions to him..the things they _said_. THOSE were what bothered her. She tried to tell him all of these things, but the words that came out were: 

"I wanted to be alone." 

His grasp loosened. She felt his posture go limp as he let go of her, and he sat back in his chair. Sally went back into hers and looked at him. She felt crushed the moment she saw his face. He looked so heartbroken now...devastated at what she had just told him. She regretted ever saying anything, and she went forward to correct herself.

"Jack, I didn't mean-"

"No, it's fine." He interrupted. "If you wanted to be alone, Sally, you could've just told me."

"But I don't." She choked, feeling the sobs trying to escape her throat. "I want to be with you, Jack...I never wanted to leave. I just - couldn't handle..." 

She broke down again, leaning forward to clutch at his chest. The tears fell onto his undershirt and never stopped. She couldn't hold back anything anymore. She let herself go on his chest and wept her soul out. She felt his hands go on her back and start rubbing her. The gesture was soothing and she loved his touch, but it didn't stop her from crying. She felt so pathetic and so useless...and she regretted ever leaving.

He gently removed her from him and carefully sat her back in her chair. Sally looked at him through moist eyes. She couldn't see anything from all the tears piling up. But she felt him wrap something around her, and the moment she blinked the tears away, she noticed he had taken off his jacket and offered it to her. She didn't even know it could stretch.

"I'm taking you back to our room," He said. "It's cold out here." 

He grabbed her and rested her on his chest. He started walking down the streets and through the park. Sally clung onto his shirt and wrapped herself up in his suit the whole way. She snuggled herself deeper into his arms and relished the warmth from his body.

\-----------------

They came to their room and the first thing Jack did was set Sally down on the bed. He locked the door and immediately came to her side. He looked at the ragdoll worriedly while she adjusted her eyes to the dim lamp on the nightstand. Her tears were starting to dry and her strength was coming back. She reached out for Jack's hand and started stroking it - just to see if she could feel again.

"Sally," He started weakly. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head, clinging both of her hands on his palm. "No...I'm not."

"What's wrong?" 

She looked away from him and bit her lip. "I...y-you might think it's stupid." 

"Why would I?" He scooted himself closer to her on the bed, wiping a tear with his thumb and brushing her yarn hair behind her ear. "I don't think there's ever been a time you've said anything stupid." 

She struggled with her words. Her leaves felt like they were twisting around. She felt so anxious. So worried that he would judge her or leave her for stressing over something he probably thought wasn't a big deal...but it certainly meant something to her. She took a breath to gain the courage to confess to him.

"Those girls earlier today...before I left." She swallowed and started gnawing on her lip. "Well, n-not just _those_ ones. The girls before, too....the ones that crowded you when we were taking pictures..."

"What about them?" He asked. 

"I didn't like the things they said," She confessed with a sigh. "They were really close and attached to you, and...they wanted nothing to do with me. I got pushed to the side and I couldn't reach you, and then I heard them telling you that they loved you and..."

Her voice faded as another tear fell from her eye. She felt Jack wipe it again. He went to respond, but she turned to him and continued before he could.

"It's not that your fans bother me. I'm glad you have many people that admire you, Jack. I-I mean...there are plenty back at home. But it made me feel really...sad, to see them hugging you and clinging to you while telling you how you're their world. It made me feel so empty. Especially when I got pushed to the side for it." 

She looked at him with desperate eyes. Wondering if he understood what she said... _hoping_ he understood. And he seemed to. He wasn't smiling like she assumed he'd be - cheerfully telling her that she was worried over nothing...but the look on his face showed something similar to what she was feeling. He grabbed her hands and started stroking the clothed surface very gently. 

"I understand, Sally. You were a little jealous and sad that they took all my attention, and I'm sorry I forgot about you. I just assumed you were there beside me - I didn't realize you were pushed away. I wish I had known...and you were honestly right to feel this way." 

"I was?" She blinked at him. "Why..?" 

He sighed and looked around the room, rubbing her fingers with his thumb. "Well...I thought they were just joking around, to be honest with you. I didn't think they seriously felt that way about me. Kind of in an ironic sense, you know?"

He started to cringe. "You didn't stick around for it, Sal, but while I was talking with those girls later...one of them came up and kissed me. Right on the cheek. Here, actually-" He pointed to the spot. "-And it was _then_ that I started piecing it together. Why they were so close to me and telling me all of those things." 

"One of them...kissed you?" Sally repeated. It felt like her heart had been torn into two.

He waved his skeletal hand in the air. "Oh, believe me, Sally, I reminded her that I was with _you_. I wasn't expecting it at all. They seemed really upset that I didn't like it. I started talking to them about you, but when I went to get you, you were gone." 

He brought her hand up to his lips and laid a kiss on it very gently. She felt relived to hear this, but now she was feeling more jealous than she had been before. What could have given those girls the audacity to kiss Jack!? 

"It made me realize that I need to pay more attention to you. I took you for granted when I really shouldn't have. I expected you to stick around after ignoring you, and that wasn't right of me. I should have included you when those girls came. I'm so sorry that I didn't - and it broke me to see you crying. It really did." 

Sally couldn't bare to hear anymore. She went forward and threw herself at Jack, wrapping her arms around him and starting to kiss his neck. She was crying again, too, but not out of sadness like she had been before. It was out of _relief_. Relief that he was still _hers_ , and nobody else's. 

"I love you, Jack." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you so much. Thank you for being so loyal - sometimes I feel like I don't deserve you."

He chuckled and brought her into his lap, wrapping his long arms around her small figure. "-If anything, I don't deserve _you_ , darling. I was a blind idiot once again. And you didn't deserve being hurt because of me."

"It wasn't your fault." She leaned upwards to lay a kiss on his skull. "It never was. I'm sorry I got jealous and left you." 

He started to rock her on the bed, resting his skull on top of her head. He said, "From now on, I'm going to assert myself more. So something like that won't happen again. I promise, Sally." 

She inhaled his pumpkin scent and smiled, clinging onto him and squeezing. "I know you will, Jack."


End file.
